Jeremy Derksen
#SkiNorthBC #PKallday

Powder King regular Michael Watson describes the skiing experience at the area, on one of its frequent powder days, like this: “You get that shot of euphoria, and you come out and wait for your friend and they come out from a different line, and they look at you and they’re just like, ‘woah,’ and you’re both like ‘Yeah!’”

“It’s almost indescribable to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it, that rush and focus at the same time.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iXvfV_bk_k

“It’s the flow state,” adds his adventure buddy, Jessie Seniunas. “Just focusing on what you’re doing, there’s no disruptions in your brain from the world, there’s no noise. You’re not thinking about what you’ve gotta do later it’s just – oh that’s a cool line. For hours and hours.”

The intensity generated out of such shared experiences creates strong bonds between friends, but also to this northern mountain. The Powder King loyal are serious about their hill.

At two hours’ drive north from Prince George, open Thursday to Monday through the main season, the ski resort’s northern locale attracts a certain type of skier. Powder seeking, fun-loving but driven to find something special.

For all the PK powder and fun, read the full SnowSeekers.ca story.
https://www.snowseekers.ca/story/ski-powder-euphoria-powder-king

Not convinced? Read about the woman whose daughter’s middle name is Azouzetta, or the brides who’ve celebrated bachelorettes there, or the guy who stayed on staff for over 10 years to keep living his pow dreams, or the many others who shared their fond memories of PK in this story by SnowSeekers’ Doc Pow.
https://www.snowseekers.ca/story/powder-town-aka-powder-king-delivers

In between powder days, there’s even more to explore within five minutes of the resort. Azouzetta Lake Lodge, on its namesake lake, offers perfect down day relaxation in cozy A-frame chalets, with snowshoeing out your door on the lake, surrounded by mountain peaks.

At over 12 metres annual average snowfall, Powder King is more than worth the trek and the time for an experience that will leave you wanting more.

PLAN YOUR TRIP
Read the full story here and check out the rest of SnowSeekers’ #SkiNorthBC coverage.
https://www.snowseekers.ca/story/ski-powder-euphoria-powder-king
https://www.snowseekers.ca/expedition/ski-north-bc

#SkiNorthBC #SmithersVibe

Boottop blower greeted us on a quiet Wednesday at Hudson Bay Mountain, drifts and lips, gladed stashes and blown-in bowls set the stage for a day of powder skiing. Off the parking lot, the fastest way to the top is the Panorama T-bar.

I followed our local Smithers crew – Jake Daly, Marty Clemens, Claire Challen, Rob Dowling and John Tejada – into soft, flowing powder lines. Days like this, following the locals on a locals’ mountain, on a powder day, no less, are like few things in this life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2szPph6wDo

Latching on to Claire Challen, Rossignol-sponsored skier, coach and Smithereen, we’d found the ideal guide to the mountain. “There’s always a lot of snow and you don’t have to share it with a ton of people,” Challen confides. “There’s not many places you can ski powder all day.”

Read the full story on SnowSeekers.ca.
https://www.snowseekers.ca/story/head-smithers-hudson-bay-mountain-skiing-soul

After lapping the T a few times, Challen points us towards the chairlift on HBM’s North Face. The north facing chair side has less wind exposure and holds the snow better, she explains. With gentle green groomers and blues on one side and ungroomed diamonds on the other, it allows everyone in the group to ski at their own speed.
“That’s our favourite place to ski,” Challen says. “It’s steep, there’s always powder and incredible views of town.”

I’d been hearing about Smithers for years from core skiers who’d stumbled upon it one way or another. It was rated a must, a hidden gem. And it still is. Smithers is a real northern town with a real northern vibe – the #SmithersVibe.

To strike white gold in Smithers, watch the conditions report and when the storm cycle hits halfway through the weekend or the start of the week, start packing. Hudson Bay Mountain Resort is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so Wednesdays is a great day to cash in.

But never fear if you can’t straightline to Smithers midweek – with a population of only about 5,300 people, and at four hours’ drive from Prince George, it can take a while for the hill to get skied out between snowfalls.

The best way to ensure you’re the first to get it is with a Smithers Ski and Stay package… and some friendly tips from the locals.

Plan your trip
https://www.snowseekers.ca/story/head-smithers-hudson-bay-mountain-skiing-soul and https://www.snowseekers.ca/expedition/ski-north-bc

by: Brenda Beatty / SnowSeekers.ca
#SkiNorthBC

For Hildur Sinclair, memories of the early days at Troll Ski Resort fuel her enthusiasm for a place that has been home since her parents first opened the resort in the 1970s. Like the first two seasons before Troll Ski Resort had electricity: it was wood stoves for heating and a two-burner camp stove in the kitchen with kerosene lamps for lodge lighting.
Troll Ski Resort, in the Cariboo Mountains, 40 minutes east of Quesnel BC, has a lot to celebrate this winter, its 50th season of getting people on skis. The season of celebration will peak during the family day weekend in February, when skiers and snowboarders will reminisce, and toast the transformation of a wild mountain valley into the winter home for so many.

Troll doesn’t exist as a nostalgic relic, however. New skiers are born every season and welcomed to the world of Troll Ski Resort.
Discover the 50-year legacy of Troll Ski Resort in this SnowSeekers.ca story.
https://www.snowseekers.ca/story/troll-skis-young-50

Tyler Dinsdale was born in Quesnel and became a skier at Troll in the 80s. There are few seasons that he’s missed winter at Troll. Now his whole family is committed to the ski life. From first clicks into bindings on the bunny hill to skinning up the slack-country of this little Cariboo gem, his three boys have progressed in their skiing and their social lives during winters at Troll.
IMAGE

Troll Ski Resort doesn’t rest on its legacy as an under-the-radar, family-friendly ski hill, however. In the last five years, Troll’s skiable terrain has increased 30 per cent with lift access to the incredible Silver Bowl. A community of tiny homes and trailers has sprung up across the road at Trailer Town, the T-Bar Lounge offers up creative winter drinks and local Barkerville Brewery beers for a cozy après experience, and night skiing is coming back this winter.

Read more about how you can celebrate Troll’s 50th season of skiing!
https://www.snowseekers.ca/story/troll-skis-young-50

Few things these days are built to last 50 years and even when they are, they don’t always get better with age. But at Troll, there’s always something more brewing and in the next two to three years, a fourth T-bar will provide easy access to the Eastern Slope of Pinegrove Mountain. More to look forward to as Troll heads into its second half century!
Plan your trip
Troll Ski Resort is a 40 minute drive East of Quesnel BC on highway 26, or a 90 minute drive Southeast of Prince George BC.

Learn more about Troll and its friendly local scene here.
https://www.snowseekers.ca/story/troll-skis-young-50

Be sure to book and save with these #SkiNorthBC special offers!

Credit: Bonnie Grenon / SnowSeekers.ca

Jeremy Derksen / SnowSeekers.ca

Smithers, BC – Some places just have a certain magic, and Smithers is one of them. People come to Smithers for that deep snow, to ski at Hudson Bay Mountain Resort or get into the backcountry, but it also presents the perfect backdrop for a romantic, leisurely couples getaway.

For Alana Petrella, as she and her fiance Bryan Mitchell enjoyed an intimate sleigh ride through the Bulkley Valley just east of town, the first and strongest word that came to mind is “magical.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyFN7pKNz6Q

“It just felt like we were in a winter wonderland,” said Petrella. “The recreation in general is pretty amazing, and the other thing is the community, and I think we experienced that.”

Here’s a few ways you can experience the winter magic of Smithers.

Skate on open alpine lakes
Smithers boasts not one but three outdoor lakes cleared voluntarily for skating by local community members. Glide along hand-in-hand on the smooth ice of Seymour Lake, Lake Kathlyn or Tyhee Lake and enjoy wintry alpine views.

Take a sleigh ride at B & T Rides
Pulling into the sprawling ranchlands of B & T Rides, the first thing you see is a bright red four-seater sleigh draped with fur blankets and hitched to two great Percherons nuzzling each other by an old machine shop.

READ THE FULL STORY AT https://www.snowseekers.ca/story/find-snowy-romance-smithers

The next thing that hits you is the picturebook landscape: rolling snowy hills, poplar and spruce forest, and mountains in the distance. Expect the warmest welcome you could imagine, and an experience that will sweep your partner off his or her feet.

Snowshoe Lake Kathlyn
Finally, if you want to literally knock your sweetie off their feet, i.e. with a good, playful bodycheck into some soft snow, then snowshoeing at Lake Kathlyn five minutes from downtown is a great way to top off the day. Views from this lake on a clear day, with mountains and glaciers standing tall around the lake, routinely rob people of their breath.

As a snowy dusk descended on Smithers, Petrella and Mitchell brushed the snow from their jackets and pants, hearts pounding and their faces suffused with mirth. It was clear they’d found the spark of something special here in northern BC.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Read more about this story on https://www.snowseekers.ca/story/find-snowy-romance-smithers

Ready to go? Get great deals with a Smithers Ski and Stay package. https://skiandstay.ca/

For more savings check out these #SkiNorthBC deals.

The Prince George Ski Club is hosting a zone race!!!

Yes that is right we finally get to race again !!!

We are so excited to invite the clubs in the north zone to Purden Mountain Ski Resort on February 12th and 13th.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
As you all know it takes a community to put on a race.
Click on the link below to volunteer. It takes you to the BC Alpine calendar where you can find our Race Notice with all the details about the race as well as to the volunteer button so you can sign up to volunteer for this great event

https://bcalpine.com/calendar/?M=2&Y=2022#4166